Croquet: A Word from the Imperial Wicket
SAVE THE DATE
The 28th Annual Croquet Match - SJC VS. USNA
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Rain Date: Sunday, April 18, 2010, 1p.m.
For more than 25 years the St. John’s Imperial Wicket has been famously known for guarding the secret of the Johnnie team’s uniforms, revealed minutes before the annual match against the Navy begins. Leading the team as Imperial Wicket this year is Cameron Coates, a senior from Chicago. Though it sounds like something straight out of a Harry Potter book, the Imperial Wicket is a big job at St. John’s.
Johnnies ruled the match in 2009 as Vikings.
The 2010 Imperial Wicket, Cameron Coates, is second from the right.
How did you become Imperial Wicket?
When was the first time you played Croquet?
Why do Johnnies do so well at the sport?
What does the Imperial Wicket actually do?
Any memorable “croquet moments” from Johnnie matches in the past?
What advantages do the Johnnies have over Navy when they compete at the match?
What bizarre outfits will the Johnnies don this year?
Do Mids and Johnnies bond with each other through croquet?
How did you become Imperial Wicket?
Traditionally the Imperial Wicket selects his or her successor, usually on grounds of merit. You have to know the game. Because the team is so tight-knit, everyone usually has a sense of who the next Imperial Wicket will be. But this time it was a little up in the air, so I was actually very surprised to learn I was picked. I was very honored to be chosen.
When was the first time you played Croquet?
It was the fall of my freshman year. I had not seriously held a mallet before then. Chris Gentry and Tom Meyers (fellow students, now juniors) learned the game from upperclassman and introduced me to it, and the rest is history.
Why do Johnnies do so well at the sport?
We play all the time. There is no “team practice.” Croquet is a lifestyle. Johnnies like conversation, and most of the time you’re standing around talking to someone while another player is taking their turn. That’s why there are two players on every team. (Players compete in matches in teams of two; there are typically eight or more players on the entire croquet team.)
What does the Imperial Wicket actually do?
The Imperial Wickets handles details and people, such as getting money from the deals student government for equipment, supplies, gas, and costumes. The Imperial Wicket also deals with the wider croquet world – everything from the United States Croquet Association, the intercollegiate national championships, to interviews with reporters. It’s funny. I’ve discovered that everyone who is interested in croquet is a little quirky.
Any memorable “croquet moments” from Johnnie matches in the past?
At the National Championships last year I faced my teammates. Dan Connelly and I were on the same team at Nationals. It was the Finals round, and all four of the Finals players were from St. John’s. We faced Clint Richardson and Micah Beck, who was the Imperial Wicket, and won.
What advantages do the Johnnies have over Navy when they compete at the match?
The Midshipmen have more responsibilities. Their education has more of a career focus and they have more restrictions on their time. So they can’t treat it as a lifestyle like we do. We play more often. We get to know the terrain. We have a ‘home court’ advantage— we know where the turf dips and gets uneven.
What bizarre outfits will the Johnnies don this year?
I already know what the uniforms for this year’s match are, but I won’t tell anyone— not even my fellow players on the team, until it’s very close to the day. Sometimes the Imperial Wicket doesn’t reveal the uniforms to his team until the day before the match.
Do Mids and Johnnies bond with each other through croquet?
The Mids are great guys. We don’t get to hang out as much as we would like to due to restrictions, but every year about a week before the day of the match the two teams have lunch together at King Hall at the Naval Academy. In years past the Johnnie Imperial Wicket has always made a short speech—an official challenge to the match—and in a lighthearted way this challenge is met by the sounds of clamoring Mids in the dining hall. Lore has it that the match began as a way for students from both schools to get to know each other better.
The 28th annual St. John’s- U.S. Naval Academy croquet match will be held on Saturday, April 17 at 1 p.m. Rain date: Sunday, April 18. -Back to top-